Miami-Dade Fire Rescue granted accreditation for the fourth time by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI)

We are proud to announce that the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) has unanimously granted Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) accreditation status for the fourth time, ensuring our accreditation for the next five years.

Assistant Fire Chief Jason Fernandez, Assistant Director Maria L. Reyes, Division Manager Jenna Lugonja, and Accreditation Manager Jessica Gonzalez represented MDFR at the CFAI public hearing held on Aug. 5, 2025. The 13-member Commission unanimously approved the favorable recommendation presented by the Peer Assessment Team who visited MDFR to conduct an on-site review of our agency earlier this year. Out of 30,000 fire departments in the nation, MDFR is 1 of 124 to achieve both accredited status and ISO Class 1 rating.

Accredited Agency status is an international recognition of achievement awarded to those public safety agencies that meet the criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program. MDFR's accreditation shows the Miami-Dade County community that we continually self-assess, look for opportunities for improvement, and are transparent and accountable through the application of a true third-party verification and validation process. With this achievement, MDFR remains the largest accredited fire-rescue department in the Southeast, and second largest in the U.S.

“I’m incredibly proud of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue for successfully achieving accreditation for the fourth time, a clear reflection of their continued commitment to excellence,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Time and again, they demonstrate a dedication to growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional service to our community.”

By being strategic-minded, well-organized, properly equipped, staffed, and trained, fellow public safety agencies, stakeholders and the public are assured that MDFR’s mission and objectives are aligned with nationally-accepted set of best practices in the fire service and meet the needs of our community.

“Earning this accreditation is a significant honor, and I am incredibly proud of every member of this department for their hard work and dedication to ensure accreditation standards are met and for their professionalism demonstrated throughout this entire process, particularly during the site visit,” said Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. “The residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County deserve top-tier fire-rescue services, and our dedicated firefighters and MDFR staff work tirelessly each day to provide exactly that. Achieving this prestigious recognition is a reflection of our steadfast commitment to the community we proudly serve.”

This fourth accreditation reaffirms that MDFR employs the most current and state-of-the-art best practices in reducing fire and non-fire risks, thereby delivering the highest level and quality of fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and other services to the residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County. MDFR first achieved accreditation in 2010, and again in 2015 and 2020. MDFR is committed to implementing continuous improvement practices through the accreditation process.

CFAI is dedicated to assisting the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities. The CFAI process provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally, and then works with a team of peers from other agencies to verify and validate their completed self-assessment.

For more information, please contact MDFR’s Media and Public Relations Bureau at 305-204-2526.